by Ford, Brynn
She bit my lip, just hard enough to get my attention. I pulled back and I felt suffocated by her very presence. I would gladly let this woman take every last molecule of oxygen from my lungs if it meant she’d belong to me forever.
She was nearly breathless, “You wanted me to prove it,” she stared me down with the lust her soul had for mine.
She grabbed my hand and pulled it between us, guiding my fingers to the hem of her panties that were exposed now from beneath her open jeans.
Goddamn, this woman.
She wanted me to touch her, to see for myself how much this turned her on. I’d nearly forgotten why we were here, the secrets, the lies.
I grabbed her hips and pulled toward me before spinning her around to face the wall. I pushed her into the rough brick, holding her there by the back of her neck. Her cheek scraped against the harsh surface as her head turned to the side. She didn’t cry out. She didn’t tell me to stop. She didn’t tell me I was hurting her. Instead, she moaned.
She fucking moaned.
My free hand reached around in front of her, my fingers toying with her panty line. She startled at the way my fingertips strummed over her skin and her ass jerked back against me. I pulled my hand away and spanked her hard before grabbing a handful of her ass cheek and holding tight. I pressed my lips to her ear.
“This is what you want,” it wasn’t a question this time, I could see it in the way she squirmed for me.
Pushing back against my hard cock, she nodded ever so slightly, ignoring the way her cheek rubbed against the uneven surface. She boldly grabbed her jeans and wiggled them down her hips, exposing the black lace panties she wore beneath.
“I want it, Vaughn. I want you. Touch me, see for yourself.”
I let go of her ass and reached around her again, slipping my hand between the delicate fabric of her underwear and the soft curls beneath them. I dipped my fingers low between her legs and as my middle finger caught the slickness of her core, she faltered.
“Yes,” she begged me softly.
A single syllable that echoed in the small, dimly lit space. A single syllable that told me to trust her. A single syllable that told me she had always been mine and always would be.
If this rough, back alley, make-it-hurt kind of fucking is what she wanted, then I wanted to give it to her.
Oh, I'll give it to her.
I pulled my hand away from her warm cunt and grabbed the lace barrier, gliding it down until her cheeks were exposed. With one hand still at her neck, I fumbled to unbuckle my belt with the other, ready to take her hard and fast.
“Vaughn,” she pleaded, eager in her tone.
“Quiet,” I warned, "You're mine. I'm gonna show you what you've been missing. Show you who you belong to."
Desi arched her back, just begging me to take her as her voice poured out with aching sincerity, “I want to be yours again. Make me yours.”
“You’ve always been mine, baby. I own every part of you.”
The crash of metal against brick halted us both as a side exit door flung wide open from behind me to my right, smashing into the wall behind it. Three men barreled out and came charging toward us.
I stepped back, grabbing Desi's wrist and swinging her around behind me as these angry looking assholes rushed us. My fists were already clenched, ready and waiting for someone to take a swing at me, ready to fight. I felt Desi behind me, adjusting her clothing for modesty’s sake, while I stood as a barrier between her and whoever the fuck these assholes were.
"Are you okay, Blue?” the one in the middle asked.
I took a step forward, “Who the fuck are you –"
Desi cut me off, stepping around me, “It’s Vaughn. This is Vaughn. I’m okay. Green, I swear.”
Green?
Wait.
“Is this him?” I turned to look at her where she now stood by my side, looking completely rumpled and ravaged.
The look she returned to me said it all without words.
“Oh, fuck no,” I quickly fastened the belt of my jeans and stepped toward him.
Desi grabbed my arm. The feel of her tiny hand trying to wrap around my bicep and pull me back was enough to halt me, but just barely.
“Vaughn, don’t. Please don’t do this.”
The man, the one she was sneaking around with, stood his ground. He didn’t move toward me and he didn’t back away. He had the balls to glower at me.
“Law, I’m okay. Just, just go inside,” she said.
I clenched and unclenched my fists, anxious energy building again.
The man she called Law gritted his teeth, but said calmly, “Why don’t you both come inside and we can talk about this.”
“Talk about this?” I shouted, “Talk about what, motherfucker?"
Desi moved in front of me, facing me, putting her hands on my cheeks. I wanted to push her away so I could tackle this guy, but I wouldn’t risk legitimately harming her.
“Babe,” she said, “Vaughn, look at me, hey, let’s not do anything you’ll regret here, okay? You know you have to be careful.”
“Oh, he’s worth it, Des, he’s worth crossing the line for.”
The man took off his black blazer, handing it to one of his buddies behind him before loosening his tie and tossing the tail end of it over his shoulder.
“Listen to your wife, Vaughn,” he said my name as if it were a disgusting piece of food he desperately wanted to spit out.
“No, no, no,” Desi whimpered, glancing behind her at him, “Law, don’t. Just stop. Seriously.”
“I’m not going to start anything, Blue,” he said, unbuttoning his cuff links and rolling up his sleeves deliberately, methodically, “But if he does, I’m prepared to finish it.”
I pushed forward, forcing Desi with me, “I’ll start it and finish it, you piece of shit. Do you think I haven’t seen what you’ve done to her?”
“Hey, whoa, stop!” Desi yelled
“I haven’t done anything to her she didn’t ask for,” Law replied.
His voice was a forced monotone, a sorry attempt at masking his own rage. I wanted to piss him off enough to take a swing at me so I could beat the crap out of him in retaliation.
He stalked toward me and my heart thumped adrenaline through my veins. I put my hands on Desi’s shoulders, ready to push her carefully out of the way. He apparently had the same idea, grabbing her wrist and yanking her toward him before I got a good enough grip. She landed against his chest where he steadied her before spinning her around and pushing her behind him toward one of the strange men he’d brought out with him.
“Take her inside,” he ordered, and on that note we agreed.
She didn't need to see this and I wanted her out of harm's way before shit went down.
“Go on, Des, we won’t be long. I’ll come get you as soon as I’m done rearranging pretty boy’s face.”
Law smiled slowly, “You really don’t wanna start this with me, Vaughn. Blue. Inside. Now. I won’t tell you again.”
"Stop it, Law," she said firmly, "Vaughn, let's just go. We'll go home now, okay?"
I glanced over at her, "Go inside, Desi."
She started to say something but then stopped, turned, and walked away wordlessly into the building with one of his goons.
“Two of you, one of me,” I said once Desi was safely inside, “I’m okay with those odds.”
“I’m fine,” he told the other goon, “Go inside.”
Moments later, I was alone with the man Desi cheated on me with.
“I’m not going to fight you, Vaughn.”
“Oh, really?” I bent my head to the left, then to the right, loosening up the muscles in my neck.
“I should also warn you, there are security cameras that can view every inch of this alleyway.”
“I don’t give a fuck.”
“You will if there’s a recording showing you swung first. I know you have priors. You really don’t need another blemish on your record that could mean jail time.�
��
“Fuck you,” I growled.
He was right. I’d let my rage get the best of me in the past, but I had my shit together now. I never would’ve met someone like Desi if I hadn’t changed. But I was livid that he had any knowledge of my past, let alone that he knew that.
What else has Desi told him about me?
“I’d like to talk, Vaughn. Man to man.”
“I have no interest in talking,” I cracked my knuckles.
He sighed, “Fine. Go ahead. I’ll let you have one hit without pressing charges. One free hit, camera footage erased. But after that, I want to talk.”
“What could you possibly have to say that I’d have any interest in knowing?”
“I presume you’d have an interest in anything I have to say about your wife.”
He sighed again when I didn’t immediately reply, shoving his hands into his pockets. It was a disarming gesture, a white flag of surrender by tucking his hands away.
“Look, I know you think I’m some piece of shit guy. Maybe I am. But you should know that nothing happened between us. She never cheated on you and she was very clear about her choice to remain loyal to you from the beginning. You have every right to be pissed. She lied to you. She kept a huge secret from you that she shouldn’t have. And for all you know I’m just some asshole who’s been after your wife.”
“You are,” I made sure to point out for clarity.
He smirked, tilting his head to the side with a small jerk before lifting it again and facing me squarely, “Fine. Let’s say I am. What does that make you that your wife has to get what she needs from another man?”
He was baiting me and it was so tempting, “You fucker,” I scoffed, “You’ve got five seconds to say what you think you need to before I beat that shit-eating grin off your face. Fuck consequences.”
He tilted his head, looking at me discerningly, “You love her that much that you would willingly face jail time just to defend her honor?”
My brows furrowed in contempt, “You’re about to get that answer with my fists if you don’t spit it out.”
He nodded, “Okay. Go ahead. One hit. No consequences.”
Law’s hands came out of his pockets and floated to his sides, palms facing outward toward me in a sign of openness and surrender.
I smiled. I’m sure he thought I wouldn’t take him up on that, but I was an opportunist. I came after him, grabbing his shoulder with one hand while my other curled into a tight fist. I swung, colliding into his gut with a glorious dull thud. He doubled over with a groan. I hadn’t held anything back with the force of my punch, wanting him to feel every bit of hurt and rage that was humming over my skin.
“That one’s for me,” I said taking him off guard by landing my fist against the side of his face, “That one’s for Desi.”
He stumbled at the force of the unexpected blow, falling to his knees for just a brief moment while he shook it off. He slowly got to his feet, placing a hand on the brick wall to steady himself as he rose from the ground.
I let out a breath of relief now that I’d let all of that building pressure and energy explode from my body. It gave me a rush of endorphins that evened me out, giving me back the ability to focus and rationalize.
“That’s better,” I announced matter-of-factly, not bothering to help the motherfucker off the ground, “Go ahead and say what you have to say so I can take my wife home.”
He slowly straightened to his full height, touching a fingertip to his lip just beneath his nose and pulling it back to see it tinged with blood. It didn’t look broken, but I grinned watching him bleed.
“Okay,” he said, “I won’t say I didn’t deserve that.”
“You’ll recover.”
“Clearly, you prefer to make your own rules. I can work with that.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about helping you and Desi.”
“Desi and I don’t need help, least of all from you.”
He smirked, “I’d beg to differ,” he waved a hand indicating our surroundings, “Look where we are, Vaughn, look what’s happening here. Do you really think everything is okay? That your marriage is solid right now? Do you think you can take Desi home and forget that any of this happened and expect that she’ll never feel the need to keep a secret from you again?”
I rubbed my hand over my face, knowing he was right, but not wanting to hear it, “Shit.”
“You know I’m right, Vaughn. And now that you know, I can’t work with Desi anymore, not that she's wanted anything to do with me as of late. But I’d be lying to say I’m okay with just bowing out of her life, letting her go back to her reality with you without giving her a way to get what she needs.”
“I can give her everything that she needs.”
He nodded, “I know. But she hasn’t told you everything she needs yet. She’s afraid to.”
“And I suppose you’re going to tell me?”
“I’d like to show you, actually.”
“Okay, fucker, I don’t know what you’re talking about but it’s time for me to take Desi home.”
I stepped forward, moving toward the side door he'd come out from, but he halted me with a palm flat against my chest. I swatted his hand away, grabbing him with both my hands at his wrist and elbow, twisting his arm behind his back. I shoved him face first against the brick wall.
“What the fuck makes you think you have any right to put your hand on me, asshole?” I hissed.
He pushed backward and I let him go, realizing I was already crossing the line of assault and the consequences of him pressing charges against me with security footage would be worse than just bad. I stepped back.
He spun around and stepped toward me. It actually impressed me that he didn't back away from me then.
"Vaughn, get your shit together or I will call the cops. I don't want to do that to Desi, but I will."
"We're done here," I growled and pulled at the handle of the side door Desi had disappeared through.
It was locked.
"We're not done, Vaughn. None of this is done."
"Open the fucking door."
"No. Reentry through that door is for staff only. You'll have to go around to the front and I'll bring her to you."
I flipped him the middle finger and took off toward the staircase.
He called after me, "You can hate me all you want, but you can’t deny how much she’s struggling. She’s afraid to tell you what she needs. She hasn’t realized yet that she can get it all from you. I want to show you what I do, what I’ve done for her. I want you to see how you can give her everything she needs. I want to show her that she can get it from you.”
My foot was on the bottom step, ready to climb, but I couldn't help but turn to make sure he knew, “You don’t know what she needs from me.”
“And you don’t know what she thinks she needs from me. I’m telling you Vaughn, you can take her home right now, go back to your boring domesticity and pretend everything will be okay. But if you do that, you’re gonna lose her. She’s going to slowly fade away until she disappears all together. I’m not okay with that. I know you’re not either.”
That thawed my frozen cold exterior just a little, just enough to crack, but not enough to melt. I knew he was telling the truth. She had been fading, little by little, and it was scaring me. I had to admit to myself that he might be right. She was sneaking around to get something that I wasn’t giving her. Fuck, that hurt me deep. I wanted to give her everything, be her everything.
If Law was right, which I knew deep down he was, then I was fighting a losing battle on my own. I needed to know everything that happened between them, everything that happened at Black Ties. If I knew everything I was up against, then maybe I could defeat the inner demons that had brought her to this point and make her happy with me again.
“Fuck. Fine. I’m listening. But only because I would do anything for Desi. Literally, anything to save her.”
He si
ghed and looked relieved, “Okay. I’d like to come over tomorrow. Talk to you Desi together. Can we do that? For her?”
I chuckled and ran my hand through my hair, which I’m sure was already a tangled mess, “Are you fucking serious? You want me to let you come to my home so we can talk?"
He was serious, "Yes. I mean, I can handle it. Can you?"
Goddamnit.
Who the hell is this motherfucker that knows how to challenge me?
"Fucking hell," I muttered, "Fine."
“Okay, I'll text Desi for your address."
"Like hell you will. I will send it to you."
I shook my head, chuckling to myself as I pulled my phone from my pocket. I was about to ask for the phone number of the guy who my wife was cheating on me with.
What the hell is happening?
"Tell me your number."
He told me and I entered it into my phone, adding him as a contact with first name Mother last name Fucker.
He walked to the side door, "I’ll go get Desi and bring her to you out front.”
“She'd better be at that door in five minutes," I warned.
Without another word, I turned and stalked off, taking the stairs at a run to collect my wife at the front door of Black Ties.
Chapter 22
Desi
Law found me with Ris, waiting upstairs in his office above the bar. When he stepped inside and I saw his face, I burst into tears. There was dried blood on his upper lip and he looked disheveled, which was so unlike him.
My whole world was crumbling to pieces and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Law didn’t tell me what happened, he just thanked Ris for sitting with me, took my hand and led me downstairs.
He walked me through the bar without another word. No comfort. No explanation. No word about Vaughn. No question about why I was there or why I refused to come in when I arrived. Everything was wrong.
What if things are worse than I thought?
What if Law had fought back?
What if Vaughn's hurt?
Shit, it’s all my fault.
I don't deserve to have either of these men in my life.
The few people milling about in the bar eyed Law with curiosity and shock. He rarely had his jacket off in the club unless he was participating in a scene. Droplets of blood had splashed along the collar of his shirt and I could see swelling beginning to puff out the side of his nose, the shadow of a bruise just starting to form on his cheek.
